[council] REMINDER: Domain Tasting Public Comment Period closes on 28 January 2008

["GNSO.SECRETARIAT@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx" <gnso.secretariat@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

[To: council[at]gnso.icann.org; liaison6c[at]gnso.icann.org]
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REMINDER: Domain Tasting Public Comment Period closes on 28 January 2008
http://www.icann.org/public_comment/#domain-tasting-2008

Please submit comments to:
domain-tasting-2008@xxxxxxxxx
Comments may be viewed at:
http://forum.icann.org/lists/domain-tasting-2008/

Explanation: The body that represents individual Internet users within 
ICANN, the At Large Advisory Committee (ALAC), asked ICANN's main policy 
body, the Generic Names Supporting Organisation (GNSO) to review the 
issue of "domain tasting" in spring 2007.
Domain tasting is where someone uses existing legitimate processes to 
register a domain name and then tests to see if the address has 
sufficient traffic to provide more income than the annual registration 
fee (usually through the addition of pay-per-click advertising). If the 
address is deemed sufficiently profitable, it is kept. If not, the 
current "add grace period" - where domains can be returned within five 
days without cost - is used to return the domain at no net cost to the 
registrant. This process has seen an enormous increase in the number of 
domains registered and returned and some feel represents a loophole that 
needs to be closed.
In response to the ALAC's request in spring 2007, the GNSO Council 
requested that ICANN staff prepare an issues paper for review and 
discussion. That Issues Report [pdf] was produced and discussed at 
ICANN's San Juan meeting in June 2007, during which the GNSO Council 
decided to set up a working group to gather more information. The 
working group came back with an Outcomes Report [pdf] in October 2007.
As a result of both reports, the GNSO Council decided at the end of 
October 2007 to launch a formal policy development process (PDP) into 
domain tasting, beginning with a request that other parties in the ICANN 
structure provide their input on the issue. As a result of all this, an 
Initial Report [pdf] has been produced outlining the process, possible 
actions to be taken, and the arguments put forward for and against such 
actions.
It is this Initial Report that has been put out for public comment. 
Feedback will be incorporated into a Final Report supplied to the GNSO 
Council for it to review and take action where necessary.
--
Glen de Saint Géry
GNSO Secretariat - ICANN
gnso.secretariat[at]gnso.icann.org
http://gnso.icann.org